Monday, April 27, 2009

Spectacle day two: Goose.

Doc and I drove down to Gooseberry Mesa and set up camp, eager to spend some time in warm temps and on dry, tacky rock. Goose is good for both this time of year.

For those that have never been on the Mesa, it lacks any significant climbing--you're atop a (very flat topped) mesa after all. But what it lacks in overall elevation change it makes up for with hundreds (thousands if you repeat most of 'em as we did...) of small up and off moves. With the exception of a rare wall ride, most of what you do at Goose is burst up onto something, followed (seconds later) by rolling or dropping off of it.

For hours on end.

Joy.

With Zion and the Pine Valley Mountain as backdrops, the views never disappoint.

There really isn't much that can be called 'off trail' here, as most of it is simply painted/suggested routes across rock. Use common sense and stay on rock when you aren't following the dots, and it's all good.

And don't forget to look around...

On north facing slopes the lichen can catch you off guard...

...but when the rock tilts south the sky's the limit for traction.

Some moving pictures and, uhhh, ironic (?!?) tuneage.

What's this--singletrack? Not for long...

It seems a bit redundant to write, but aside from the 'off trail moves' there are a few truly hidden stashes out there. Anyone can find 'em, if they know where (and *how*) to look. This is one of 'em.

May not look like it, but yes Gladys, there is a trail there...

As cliched as it sounds, after 8+ hours on the rock, we were but husks (shadows, you might say...) of our former selves. Drink, food, more drink, and rest called.